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Fabricated Selves: apparel and spatio-temporal boundaries

Berg, Martin LU (2007) Somatechnics
Abstract
Broadening conventional sociological concerns, this paper establishes a social psychological account of queer theory, and an associated understanding of subject formation, in order to examine the relationship between the continuously emerging self and the dressed body by taking its departure in the concept and phenomenon of cross-dressing. Focusing the interrelationship between bodily gestures and clothing as a symbolic envelope, an understanding of the self as primarily bodily emerges while at the same time relating to questions of embodiment, transgression and spatio-temporal boundaries and distinctions. Theoretically, this paper develops the idea of performative subject formation (Butler, 1990, 1993, 1997a, 1997b) by taking resort to an... (More)
Broadening conventional sociological concerns, this paper establishes a social psychological account of queer theory, and an associated understanding of subject formation, in order to examine the relationship between the continuously emerging self and the dressed body by taking its departure in the concept and phenomenon of cross-dressing. Focusing the interrelationship between bodily gestures and clothing as a symbolic envelope, an understanding of the self as primarily bodily emerges while at the same time relating to questions of embodiment, transgression and spatio-temporal boundaries and distinctions. Theoretically, this paper develops the idea of performative subject formation (Butler, 1990, 1993, 1997a, 1997b) by taking resort to an understanding of the symbolic interactionist concept of self as both discursively regulated and socially maintained. Following Foucault (1990, 1991) and Mead (1927, 1932, 1962, 1972), among others, one can understand the heterosexual matrix as working primarily through fixing subject positions, individual gestures and bodily movements in time and space. As is demonstrated in this paper, clothing plays an important part in the gendered fabrication of the self; through tying together gestures and bodily appearances; controlling them, excluding them from each other, and fixing them in time and space; in short, making them inextricably inseparable.

Empirically, this paper is grounded in an analysis of a large number of digital self-presentations and diaries authored by self-identified male to female transvestites between the ages of 15 and 69 in which notions of self, body, gender and sexuality have been focused. In this context, questions are asked concerning the heterosexual matrix, cultural intelligibility and the importance of the dressed body in the materialization of a gendered subject. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
unpublished
subject
keywords
genus, socialpsykologi, transvestism, genusvetenskap, sociologi, clothing, subjectivity, the self, gender, social-psychology, cross-dressing, sociology, gender studies, självet, subjektivitet, kläder
conference name
Somatechnics
conference location
Sydney, Australia
conference dates
2007-04-19
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a211ef9b-8a27-47be-8b28-ff2896a7b9d9 (old id 740032)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 14:03:45
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:18:02
@misc{a211ef9b-8a27-47be-8b28-ff2896a7b9d9,
  abstract     = {{Broadening conventional sociological concerns, this paper establishes a social psychological account of queer theory, and an associated understanding of subject formation, in order to examine the relationship between the continuously emerging self and the dressed body by taking its departure in the concept and phenomenon of cross-dressing. Focusing the interrelationship between bodily gestures and clothing as a symbolic envelope, an understanding of the self as primarily bodily emerges while at the same time relating to questions of embodiment, transgression and spatio-temporal boundaries and distinctions. Theoretically, this paper develops the idea of performative subject formation (Butler, 1990, 1993, 1997a, 1997b) by taking resort to an understanding of the symbolic interactionist concept of self as both discursively regulated and socially maintained. Following Foucault (1990, 1991) and Mead (1927, 1932, 1962, 1972), among others, one can understand the heterosexual matrix as working primarily through fixing subject positions, individual gestures and bodily movements in time and space. As is demonstrated in this paper, clothing plays an important part in the gendered fabrication of the self; through tying together gestures and bodily appearances; controlling them, excluding them from each other, and fixing them in time and space; in short, making them inextricably inseparable.<br/><br>
Empirically, this paper is grounded in an analysis of a large number of digital self-presentations and diaries authored by self-identified male to female transvestites between the ages of 15 and 69 in which notions of self, body, gender and sexuality have been focused. In this context, questions are asked concerning the heterosexual matrix, cultural intelligibility and the importance of the dressed body in the materialization of a gendered subject.}},
  author       = {{Berg, Martin}},
  keywords     = {{genus; socialpsykologi; transvestism; genusvetenskap; sociologi; clothing; subjectivity; the self; gender; social-psychology; cross-dressing; sociology; gender studies; självet; subjektivitet; kläder}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Fabricated Selves: apparel and spatio-temporal boundaries}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}